Jean Jacques Rousseau- Emile




Background:

Written in 1972, Emile was meant to urge mothers to "cultivate, water the young plant before it dies. Its fruits will one day be your delights... Plants are shaped by cultivation and men by education" (Rousseau, 1979, pg 38).




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Emile portrays the a fictitious story of raising a boy to a man, while including various educational theories into the mix. A majority of the book provides information for raising boys, however, the end portion of the story includes information for girls. This comes into play when Emile wants to marry Sophie, a women he fell in love with. The story includes many lessons on Rousseau's personal feelings, morals, religion, and society. By describing phases children go through and relating them to multiple theories, Emile serves as a great resource to educate not only mothers, but fathers as well.



Sources:

Berger, Eugenia Hepworth. Parents as Partners in Education: Families and Schools Working Together. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill, 2000. Print
http://www.articlemyriad.com/summary-analysis-insights-emile/